1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to transporting energetic materials, more particularly to human transport of energetic materials, and most particularly to safe human transport of energetic materials and energetic initiators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Explosive ordnance disposal technicians require energetic materials, such as explosives, as part of their standard equipment in disarming and/or disposing of unexploded ordnance. In order to employ these energetic materials in the field, energetic initiators, such as blasting caps for explosives, are also used. However, carrying both energetic materials and initiators for such materials poses a significant safety risk. If one of the initiators prematurely actuates, all of the energetic materials carried by the technician may be initiated.
Currently, to address this problem, explosive ordnance disposal technicians hand carry the energetic initiators separately from any energetic materials in metal containers. The metal containers work to contain a premature actuation of initiators and, because the containers are physically separated from the energetic materials, such as the initiators being carried in a technicians hand or attached to a different portion of the technician's body, the risk of prematurely initiating the energetic materials is reduced. However, such metal containers are heavy, currently about twelve pounds, and cumbersome and the requirement to carry such containers separately from the energetic materials is problematic for field use.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a device that allows explosive ordnance disposal technicians to efficiently carry energetic materials and energetic initiators together without creating a significant safety risk or increasing the weight carried by the technician.